IWF Backlash (2000)
Backlash 2000 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the International Wrestling Federation (IWF) promotion, which took place on April 30, 2000 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.. It was the second event under the Backlash chronology. Nine professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the event's card. The main event was a singles match for the IWF Championship with Shane Matteson as special guest referee, in which The Rock defeated Triple K to win the championship. Featured matches on the undercard included Chris Benoit defeating Chris Jericho by disqualification to retain the IWF Intercontinental Championship and a six-man Hardcore match for the IWF Hardcore Championship, which Crash Holly won to retain the championship. Background The event featured nine professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers were portrayed as either villains or fan favorites as they followed a series of events which built tension, culminating in a wrestling match or series of matches. After Vince Matteson betrayed The Rock at WrestleMania, Vince joined forces with Triple K, Kaila Matteson-Kelmsley, Shane Matteson, and D-Generation X to fully complete the formation of the heel faction, the Matteson-Kelmsley Faction. The Faction's new objectives revolved around keeping Triple K as IWF Champion, though they also helped Stephanie win the Women's Championship, through dirty tactics of interfering in matches, and ambushing dissenters at inopportune times. On the first episode of Raw Is War, after WrestleMania, The Rock won the right to face Triple K for the IWF Championship at Backlash, but the Faction made stipulations to the title match that would give Triple H a full advantage: Vince and Kaila would be allowed to be ringside for the match, and Shane was named the referee for the match. In addition to The Rock, another noted figure who opposed the Faction was referee Earl Hebner, who started to feud with Triple K, culminating on the April 17 episode of Raw is War, where Triple K defended his IWF Title against Chris Jericho. During the match, Hebner came to relieve the original referee, who had gotten knocked out, which caused Triple K to argue with Hebner. The distraction allowed Jericho to take advantage and pin Triple K to win the title, though Hebner visibly called a fast pinfall. The Faction then brought Hebner and the original referee Mike Chioda to the ring, where Chioda admitted that Hebner made an unfair pinfall. Triple K then had Hebner fired, and reversed the decision, allowing Triple K to regain the title. Later that night, IWF CEO Linda Matteson, the only member of the Matteson family to not be a member of The Faction, arrived, and announced that she declared The Rock to be "outnumbered" at Backlash, and decided that she would allow one IWF wrestler to be in The Rock's corner at Backlash: Stone Cold Steve Austin, who had not been seen in the IWF since the previous year's Survivor Series. On the final episode of SmackDown! prior to Backlash, Austin made his first IWF appearance in 6 months, where he dropped a concrete barrier from a crane onto the "DX Express" bus, causing it to explode. Event Results *Edge & Christian defeated D-Generation X (X-Pac and Road Dogg) (w/ Tori) to retain the IWF Tag Team Championship (9:23) *Dean Malenko © defeated Scotty 2 Hotty to retain the IWF Light Heavyweight Championship (12:59) *The Big Bossman and Bull Buchanan defeated The Acolytes (Bradshaw and Faarooq) (7:41) *Crash Holly © defeated Matt Hooper, Josh Hooper, Hardcore Holly, Perry Saturn and Tazz in a six-man Hardcore match to retain the IWF Hardcore Championship (12:20) *Big Show defeated Kurt Angle (2:57) *T & A (Albert and Test) (w/ Trish Stratus) defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) (11:04) *Eddie Guerrero © (w/ Chyna) defeated Essa Rios (w/ Lita) to regain the IWF European Championship (8:43) *Chris Benoit © defeated Chris Jericho by disqualification to retain the IWF Intercontinental Championship (15:08) *The Rock (with Stone Cold Steve Austin) defeated Triple K © (with Mr. Matteson and Kaila Matteson-Kelmsley) to win the IWF Championship with Shane Matteson as the Special Guest Referee (19:24) Other on-screen talent See also *List of IWE pay-per-view events *IWE Event History DVD release External links